Quilting, Design, Writing and More…

Menu

New Quilters – So Much to Learn!

Do you remember when you first started quilting? I remember it seemed like there was SO much to learn all at once, and I saw so many beautiful quilts and wanted one every bit as beautiful.

My mom was a very accomplished seamstress. Starting when she was about fourteen, she sewed much of her clothing… and mine! Her wedding dress and coat to wear over it (New Year’s Eve wedding in Michigan), my snow suits and dresses… Until she passed away two years ago, she had only one sewing machine – a Singer Featherweight. It is now in my possession.

When mom first taught me to sew, she gave me a piece of notebook paper and sat me down in front of her machine. She had me sew on the straight lines with an empty needle, and encouraged me to watch the pressure foot, not the needle. In time, my lines became more straight. I was only about eight years old, and sewing on the paper became very tedious. But I learned, and today I can sew a good straight line.

What did you learn first when you began quilting? Please leave your comments in the space below, and cast your vote on the poll to the right.

Unless posted otherwise, all photos and writing copyright Caron Mosey,http://blog.caronmosey.com. If you would like to use a photo or article seen here,
please contact me at caron mosey at gmail dot com.

Advertisements

Share this:

Like this:

Related

Post navigation

4 thoughts on “New Quilters – So Much to Learn!”

Both my Mom and Grandmother sewed and it wasn't until high school when I realized that a GF sewed her own clothes that I wanted to learn how to do that. Once I learned, nothing could stop me. I even took a sewing machine to college with me. My first quilt taught me that one cannot get fine hand stitches through an extra lofty poly quilt batt. No way. I believe there was one line of quilting all the way around a border on that quilt and the rest was tied. Does that qualify as a quilt or a comforter?

I learned how to use the rotary cutter and ruler in combination first as well as a bit about pattern grids because that helps you break down the pattern into sections for piecing. I've been at it for 21 years now so those lessons stuck.

I believe that color and fabric selections are innate. We know what colors we like: normally we wear them as clothing or use them for color schemes in our homes after all.

My first quilt about a year and a half ago was a pinwheel quilt. I had seen a blog about knitting and looked to the photos on the right and there was quilt tutorial. It looked like fun! I went out and bought a 9X12 cutting matt, a rotary cutter, a small ruler, plus a little ruler to make the triangle cuts.I made a twin size quilt. I still have enough squares cut to make another orange and white quilt I think…anyway, I learned that one should buy a larger matt and the larger ruler.I practiced on the next quilts as I am still practicing…to sew 1/4″ lines, to press to pin and to remember that I am having such fun.The best of this craft is finding the “friends” in blogland and as you know you have been one of my “people” since that beginning of my blogging. You have such informative postings and the people that take the time to comment are very precious to me!

My first quilt (Bow-tie) many moons ago was done with mostly scraps, with help from my mother. It was long before rotary cutters etc. so all was done by scissor and template. I know accuracy in the cutting is what I found to be most important followed closely by accuracy in sewing. These two things are what makes it all 'come together' the way it was meant to. Much in the quilting process has evolved and I still love it.Edna in Medicine Hat, AlbertaMy blog is http://NeedlingThings.blogspot.com